maddiedog wrote:Regardless of sect, do Buddhist places of worship generally resemble a Wat, or do Vihears standalone elsewhere as centers of worship?
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In casual speech I think it is safe to call any place of worship -- that resembles a temple -- a Wat. This applies to alien shrines, too (eg. Christian temples, Sikh temples or Chinese shrines). Technically speaking it's incorrect, because in Thailand a Wat must have the presence of practicing monks living in the compound. That said, not all places of worship are part of a Wat compound.
No matter how they call them, I've seen standalone Vihears (or Phra Viharn in Thai) in may places without any apparent adjoining buildings. It is sometimes hard to tell a Vihear from an Ubosoth from the outside. You should be looking for 'Semas', sacred cornerstones that protect the Ubosoth from evil (A Vihear has none).
In the ruined ancient capital of Thailand, Ayutthaya, there is a famous Vihear (Phra Mongkol Bobit) from the 17th century. It was restored to its former glory in the 1950's. The original gilded (with bronze core and masonry) Buddha statue is still there. This Vihear now stands alone, but I think it must have belonged to a greater royal compound including a proper, complete Wat. Moreover, there are Chedis or Stupas that are regarded sacred, and people tend to use them for worship. The greatest of them all is the great Stupa of Nakhon Pathom, Phra Pathom Chedi. In many businesses or wealthy homes you can see a small shrine on a pedestal outside. It is called a Spirit House (San Phra Phoum). These home shrines have nothing to do with Buddhism. They belong to the realm of animism, a relic from the past before Siamese territory was converted to Buddhism. In the center of Bangkok, there's a popular shrine in the corner of Rachadamri and Sukhumvit (Phloen Chit Rd.) -- the Erawan shrine. The shrine is dedicated to Brahma, a Hindu deity, but the Thais are happy to pay homage and show their respect.
Before Rattanakosin (Bangkok) era, temple architecture in Thailand was based on Khmer influence. The most prominent part of a Khmer-style temple was the Prang (a tapered, conical tower). The Prang was meant to resemble the sacred mountain of Meru. Interestingly enough, the symbol of Bangkok, Wat Arun, was built accordingly. That's because it is located on Thonburi (West) side of the river Chao Phraya and survived the sack of Ayutthaya in 1767. The Siamese army fled to Thonburi where general Taksin became the new king. After Taksin a new dynasty emerged, the present Chakri house, and the capital was moved from Thonburi to the east bank of the river, today's Bangkok.
I have learned from my mistakes, and I am sure I can repeat them exactly.